Grant Berg announced he will seek the Alberta Party nomination with the goal to run for MLA of the Grande Prairie Constituency in the next provincial election.

Berg spoke about his platform and qualifications for the role in Centre 2000 at 12:15 p.m. Wednesday.

“I want my government to be responsible and accountable,” Berg said. “American-style politics built on rhetoric has crept into our province. It is no longer about right or wrong, good or bad. It’s evolved into political ideology.”

Born in Alberta, Berg has lived in Grande Prairie for 27 years and has volunteered for the Grande Prairie Storm, Grande Prairie Rotary, the Downtown Association and other groups. He also owns the Grant Berg Gallery and has worked in radio.

“Since day one, literally day one of me moving to Grande Prairie, I asked myself what is there to do here and there wasn’t a heck of a lot and I said, ‘Well, someone has got to step up and start creating things to do and make a better life,’” he said.

Berg emphasized the Alberta Party’s role as a centrist party.

“The Alberta Party will unite Albertans in the middle versus creating greater divides,” he said. “The current tug of war between the left and the right is creating a U.S.-style political divide. We will be a stronger province if we meet in the middle and all pull in the same directions verses a tug of war.”

Berg also threw his support behind Alberta Party Leader Stephen Mandel.

“I look at Stephen Mandel’s track record of getting things done in his three terms as mayor of a revitalized Edmonton and getting public and private enterprise to sit at the same table,” he said. “I am convinced that Stephen Mandel is the leader that can help transform Alberta and get us back to where we should be.

Berg emphasized his commitment to promoting small business.

“The current government is absolutely ignoring small business and taxing to the point of collapse,” Berg said. “The other side seems to think you need to donate millions of dollars to their war chest before you can set their policy.”

Berg also touched on the delays in the construction of the Grande Prairie Regional Hospital, calling the situation an “embarrassment” to the NDP government. He added that more assistance needed for those with mental health issues

“These people are simply not getting the help they need and they turn to suicide and drugs, both big, big issues in this city that are not being addressed by our provincial government,” Berg said.